Company Profile

Debra J. Stratton, President, is a noted industry leader and media consultant who works with organizations to maximize their communications and media strategies. Over the years, she has built a reputation for creating award-winning media and developing problem-solving strategies to upgrading and expanding communications programs, with special focus on strategies for ensuring the best mix of platforms and content.

Stratton is a frequent speaker at industry meetings, the author of major articles on media and communication topics, and a well-known industry leader. She has served on the boards of the for-profit business subsidiary of the American Dental Association, the Association Media & Publishing, and the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives. She has been repeatedly honored for her service to the association community including in 2013 by the American Society of Association Executives where she was named Industry Partner of the Year in the Women Who Advance Associations program for her “value to members and customers by deploying new and innovative solutions that support the association’s cause” and earlier by Association TRENDS when she was named Association Business Partner of the Year at the Trends Association Salute luncheon.

Prior to founding Stratton Publishing,Stratton worked for a number of major national organizations, including the ASAE, where she directed all communications and served as publisher of ASAE’s magazine, Association Management. As a senior executive, she managed ASAE’s communications department over a 10-year period, building one of the most respected and profitable operations in the industry.

She holds a Masters from the University of Maryland and a BA from Bucknell University.

Angela Hickman Brady,Senior Consultant/Media Strategist directs a wide variety of communication, marketing, membership, and media consulting and research projects. Brady excels at developing scalable and practical solutions to association communication challenges, both print and digital, translating piles of data into workable strategies. She has consulted over the past 15 with numerous clients on tacking their toughest communication challenges and has extensive experience in directing operations for association print publications and e-newsletters and in developing website content, specialized supplements, direct mail, and other marketing and media materials. Earlier, Brady worked for several weekly and monthly business magazines, including the Washington Business Journal, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and the Business Journal of Tri-Cities, TN-VA.

Joetta Melton, Senior Consultant, is a seasoned marketing and research strategist with extensive background in commercial and nonprofit marketing and media, especially in the health-care field. Capping a 20-year career at the American Academy of Family Physicians as Publisher and Division Director, Melton oversaw major expansion of publishing operations that more than doubled revenues to $20 million, including the launch of an advertising-supported publication, Family Practice Management, and an original research journal, Annals of Family Medicine. Also at AAFP, she was actively involved in expanding the book publishing program, directing special product launches, and directing cross-divisional teams to implement association-wide strategic planning benchmark efforts. Earlier she worked as a marketing and research executive for major communications and advertising companies, responsible for strategic launches, creative development and media placements, and as a group product manager.

Robert Rainier is an experienced publishing professional whose background includes executive-level positions with McGraw-Hill, CBS, and the American Institute of CPAs. At AICPA, he directed the $37 million profit-driven publishing program, including the award-winning Journal of Accountancy, electronic media, books, and subscription-based newsletters. He also served at AICPA as Senior Consultant, Strategic Development working with senior management and leadership in developing new initiatives for the society.

Earlier, Rainier worked in commercial publishing with McGraw-Hill and CBS Educational and Professional Publishing, New York City, where he was Vice President, Editor-in-Chief, CBS College Publishing, managing $22 million in assets and a staff of 115 responsible for product acquisition and development for the $81 million business.

Thomas Koerner, PhD., is a senior publishing executive with extensive experience in both commercial and association publishing as well as association executive leadership. Koerner, who has a Ph.D. in publishing management from Northwestern University, directed the award-winning publishing program at the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for 20 years before becoming executive director of the organization. More recently, he has served as Vice President and Editorial Director at Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, a highly regarded specialty book publisher in Lanham, Maryland. He brings to clients an extensive background in the business of journal publishing and development, book marketing and expansion programs, and communications and publishing operations. Prior to his publishing career, Koerner served as a school district administrator, teacher, and news writer.

Mary Nowesnick is a senior executive with extensive experience in higher education marketing, research, and branding, as well as expertise in association and nonprofit publishing and communications.

Nowesnick served as Executive Director for marketing communication services at Loyola University Chicago where she oversaw undergraduate recruitment marketing as well as communications for Loyola’s schools and colleges, office of the provost, student affairs, and student services offices. She launched Loyola’s first marketing communications department and led the recruitment marketing strategy that contributed to annual record-breaking undergraduate enrollments.

Earlier, she served as Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning national publication, Savings Institutions Magazine, published by the U.S. League of Savings Institutions.

Jack Mott, Senior Associate, Advertising Sales Training
With an extensive depth of experience and background in magazine print and web advertising sales, Jack Mott provides organizations and their staffs with hands-on sales training and sales strategies. Jack has more than 25 years experience in print and online advertising sales, serving as the advertising director for a group of upstate NY newspapers and as a sales executive with a national magazine/online advertising company, implementing his customer-driven marketing and sales philosophy which resulted in creating the most profit region in the country. More impressively Mott maintained that position for this region year-after-year. He worked to train his magazine ad sales staff to market an integrated print/digital program of placements by helping them sell the value of a print/online synergy. In 2009, he stepped down as the Corporate VP of Landmark Communications (Dominion Enterprise) to start Get Sales Going, LLC, (www.getsalesgoing.com) which offers training in new business development, sales skills training, advertising broker, and full service advertising agency services.